Mesa County Oral History Project

The Mesa County Oral History Project began as a joint project of the Museums of Western Colorado and Mesa County Libraries (MCL) in 1975. The Oral History Project collected tape-recorded interviews with pioneers of Mesa County and surrounding areas, and interviews with the children of pioneers. The Central Library housed the duplicate audio cassettes and provided patron access to the histories. The Museum stored the master tapes and kept files and transcripts related to the oral history collection. The Mesa County Historical Society also contributed significantly to the Oral History Project by collaborating with the library and museum to select interviewees, and by providing interviewers and other volunteers. Mesa County Libraries no longer partner with the Museum in housing duplicate copies of tapes. But the library now works with the Museum to digitize interviews from the Mesa County Oral History Project and to provide online access to the interviews through Pika, the library catalog. The Museum continues to house the original audio cassettes, interview transcripts, and other source material for the project. The Library and the Museums of Western Colorado still record oral histories with residents who have important knowledge of the area’s history. Please note that some interviews contain language that listeners or readers may consider offensive. Mesa County Libraries does not condone such language, but has included interviews in their entirety in the interest of preserving history.

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Interview with Theodore Charles Simineo
Theodore Simineo talks about the history of violence between sheep and cattle ranchers near Whitewater, Colorado. He remembers helping to drive cattle over the Grand Mesa at the age of six, other aspects of cattle drives, and his life as a cowboy. He describes community dances that took place in Kannah Creek schools or community halls. He speaks about the transportation of cattle by rail from Gunnison and Whitewater. He talks about working as a coal miner in the Starr Mine, being hurt in a mining accident, and the omnipresence of coal dust in the homes of coal miners. He recalls the history of several coal mines, including the Baldwin, Floresta, Smith Hill, Pershing, Rock Springs, and Crested Butte Mines. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Interview with Thomas "Tom" Williams and Helen (Andros) Williams
Thomas and Helen Williams, he a Greek immigrant and she the daughter of Greek immigrants, discuss early life in Grand Junction, immigrant life, owning a grocery store, financial hardships due to the Great Depression, and selling ice cream during the summers from a small horse-drawn wagon.
Interview with Thomas C. "Tom" Charles and Emma (Berg) Nagel
Tom Charles talks about moving to the Fruitvale area of Mesa County, Colorado in 1907, his family’s fruit orchards, and the history of fruit growing in the Grand Valley. Emma (Berg) Nagel describes her family’s homestead in the Highpoint area north of Fruita in 1894. She speaks about living in a dugout for three years, clearing the land for cultivation, and the family’s fruit orchard. Charles and Nagel both discuss the various crops grown around the valley, such as cantaloupes, strawberries, and sugar beets. They touch on care for orchards, the codling moth’s destruction of the local apple industry, and agricultural laborers. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Interview with Thomas Harrison Moore
Thomas Moore talks about his childhood and education in Columbus, Ohio, and being drafted into the United States Army in 1968. He describes his tour of duty and experiences in Chu Lai, Vietnam, during the Vietnam War, with the 23rd Infantry Americal Division from 1969 to 1970. He recounts drug and alcohol use among American troops during the war. He remembers his difficulty reintegrating into American society when he returned from the war and talks about how the Vietnam War changed him. He speaks about the possible repercussions of Agent Orange in his personal life, about Delayed Stress Syndrome (PTSD) in the lives of Vietnam veterans, and about his involvement in Grand Junction, Colorado’s local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter. He talks about the tendency of many Vietnam vets to be antimilitaristic, and about controversy surrounding the design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. He recalls the era of social protest and extremism in the 1960’s and voices his wish for a middle ground in contemporary society. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Interview with Thomas Harrison Moore
Thomas Moore talks about his childhood and education in Columbus, Ohio, and being drafted into the United States Army in 1968. He describes his tour of duty and experiences in Chu Lai, Vietnam, during the Vietnam War, with the 23rd Infantry Americal Division from 1969 to 1970. He recounts drug and alcohol use among American troops during the war. He remembers his difficulty reintegrating into American society when he returned from the war and talks about how the Vietnam War changed him. He speaks about the possible repercussions of Agent Orange in his personal life, about Delayed Stress Syndrome (PTSD) in the lives of Vietnam veterans, and about his involvement in Grand Junction, Colorado’s local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter. He talks about the tendency of many Vietnam vets to be antimilitaristic, and about controversy surrounding the design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. He recalls the era of social protest and extremism in the 1960’s and voices his wish for a middle ground in contemporary society. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Interview with Thomas Jefferson Campbell Jr.
Thomas Campbell of Clifton talks about the roads, towns, farms, ranches and geography of places throughout Mesa County, Colorado. He speaks about the Molina flour mill in the town of Molina and about the history of local agriculture. He talks about the history of Clifton, its settlement, and churches. He describes early agriculture and methods of clearing the land for crops. He remembers aspects of peach, pear and apple growing, including pests and pesticides, harvest, the sale of crops, and irrigation. He recalls his education and different jobs he held during his life, including railroad worker, bookkeeper, and road builder. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado. *Photograph from the 1925 Grand Junction High School yearbook
Interview with Thomas Wedell
Thomas Wedell talks about his childhood in Lebanon, Colorado and his apple farm there. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries, the Museums of Western Colorado and the Mesa County Historical Society.
Interview with Veda (Roberson) McBeth
Veda McBeth talks about people and places of Mack, Colorado, where her family owned and operated the general store in the early Twentieth century. She describes in detail the colorful hobos that she encountered along the railroad, the thousands of sheep in the Mack stockyards, and large sheep drives to Grand Junction. She also speaks about catching the Denver Rio Grande train from Mack to Grand Junction, the Uintah Railway, and the loneliness of homestead life in Westwater Canyon. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Interview with Veone Christine (Jensen) Taylor
Veone Taylor discusses her early life as an orphan in Eastern Utah and Salt Lake City. She also talks about her life as a homemaker preparing food and lodging for cowboys on a ranch in Uintah County, Utah. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries, the Museums of Western Colorado and the Mesa County Historical Society.
Interview with Verne Lewis Judson
Verne Judson talks about his early life in the Pomona area of Mesa County, Colorado, and the family’s subsequent move to Loma. He speaks about his long career as a farmer prior to retiring in 1965. He remembers some of the people and places of Loma. He talks about his father Orin Judson’s career as a farmer and rancher, and about his death from Tuberculosis in 1923. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Interview with Vernon L. "Roy" McCoy
Mesa County resident Vernon McCoy discusses moving to the Fruita, Colorado area from Iowa in 1911, working for the Uintah Railroad and the Rio Grande Southern Railroad, his stint overseas in the Army during World War I, and his three children. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Interview with W.L. "Windy" Martin
W.L. “Windy” Martin discusses coming to Grand Junction, Colorado in the early 1930’s while working for a tent show named Fred G. Brunk’s Comedians. He talks about his time working for the traveling show, the types of crowds for whom they performed, how to care for a tent show during bad weather, and the different plays they liked to perform. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries, the Museums of Western Colorado and the Mesa County Historical Society.

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